NHL Referee Stretchered Off The Ice In Scary Scene After Collision with Avalanche Defenceman Josh Manson

Manson was merely skating into a play in the offensive zone, and didn't see a referee on track to hit him. The referee, went down hard, and stayed down on the ice for several moments before being stretchered off.

The entire arena and every player in the game was only thinking of the referee's wellbeing in that moment. Josh Manson came back to check up on the referee while he was being stretchered off.

Flyers defenceman Erik Johnson showed great leadership as a hockey player, actually going over to check on how Manson was feeling. The Avs defenceman must feel brutal about this scary accident.

According to a statement from the NHL, the referee, Mitch Dunning, was taken to a Philadelphia hospital for further medical testing.

Thankfully, all neurological signs are looking positive for Dunning - he's been able to move and communicate in the hospital.

Some fans have been harshly critical of Manson, saying that he should've been more aware of his surroundings to prevent this injury.

That's an absolutely shameful take. It was clearly a routine play that went wrong with an unexpected collision from behind, and that element of surprise can be the real cause behind the injury. It was a total freak accident, and Manson surely feels awful for the ref's injury.

It's fantastic news that the NHL has already updated fans and revealed that Dunning is in good shape. NHL fans may not always be too fond of the referees, but in this case, Dunning will receive all love from the hockey world.